The Department of Merchant Shipping has announced that it will be a deputy ministry with effect from March 1 2018 and be renamed the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, following the entry into force of the Establishment of a Deputy Ministry of Shipping and Appointment of a Deputy Minister of Shipping and for Matters Connected Therewith Law 2017.1
The Deputy Ministry of Shipping's headquarters will be in Limassol, in the premises hitherto occupied by the Department of Merchant Shipping. The Deputy Ministry of Shipping's abbreviation in English will continue to be DMS and its web address will remain unchanged (ie, www.shipping.gov.cy).
Under the law establishing the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, any reference:
- in shipping legislation, with the exception of the Investigation of Marine Casualties and Incidents Law 2012,2 or in relevant public documents to the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works or the Department of Merchant Shipping will be construed as a reference to the Deputy Ministry of Shipping;
- to the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works will be construed as a reference to the Deputy Minister of Shipping; and
- to the director of the Department of Merchant Shipping will be construed as a reference to the permanent secretary of the Deputy Ministry of Shipping.
As successor to the Department of Merchant Shipping, the deputy ministry will assume all of the former's rights, responsibilities, powers and obligations. Any authorisation, approval, licence, permit or act issued or made under shipping legislation will be deemed to have been made under the law establishing the deputy ministry, which will replace the Department of Merchant Shipping in all court proceedings and legal actions to which the department is a party. All powers delegated to the Department of Merchant Shipping's director and officers under shipping legislation will be construed as being delegated from the deputy minister of shipping to Deputy Ministry of Shipping officers.
Footnotes
(1) Law 123(I)/2017, published in the Official Gazette on July 28 2017.
(2) Law 94(I)/2012.
Originally published by International Law Office.
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